Starting from playing as a defensive midfielder for Real Madrid

After the match between Chelsea and Manchester United, the Premier League has entered a temporary break, and the next round of the league will not start until ten days.

However, during this period, the Premier League teams that are still competing in the FA Cup have to prepare for the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Chelsea's opponent in this round of the FA Cup is Stoke City, also from the Premier League.

This made Mourinho feel very entangled.

In the current Premier League standings, Chelsea ranks first in the Premier League with 56 points, Manchester City ranks second with 50 points, and Arsenal also has 50 points, but ranks third due to a goal difference disadvantage.

The gap between the three teams is very small, and Manchester City and Arsenal also bite Chelsea very hard.

If Chelsea now have a points advantage of more than three wins, then Mourinho can rest assured and continue to work hard in the FA Cup.

But if there is only six points behind Manchester City, Mourinho is increasingly inclined to give up the FA Cup directly.

In this way, Chelsea's main players will be able to get more rest time, and they will basically only need to focus on the league and the Champions League.

The main players can only play one EFL Cup final in early March, and the burden of the game is not heavy at all.

After all, Chelsea are now almost half outside the EFL Cup final threshold, and they don't have much desire for the FA Cup.

On the contrary, Guardiola, who takes over the Premier League team for the first time, still needs to try his best to win the championship trophy in his debut season and prove his ability to the team's senior management.

After being eliminated from the EFL Cup early, Manchester City had only two options to compete in the FA Cup and the Premier League.

This decrease and increase have reduced Chelsea's pressure on multi-line operations, but Manchester City has increased the burden of the game. Chelsea's advantage will naturally be much greater in subsequent league competitions.

However, Mourinho cannot make a decision directly on this matter alone.

After the game against Manchester United, Mourinho first held a relevant meeting with members of his coaching team.

After unifying the thinking within the coaching staff, Mourinho had a private conversation with Terry, Lampard and Li Ang.

Li Ang has no special feelings for the FA Cup, after all, he is not English.

For him, there is not much difference between the FA Cup and the EFL Cup. They are both just domestic cup competitions in England.

So if he was asked to express his opinion, he would definitely prefer to maintain the league and the Champions League. As long as the EFL Cup is won, he believes that Chelsea fans can also understand the team's decision to give up the FA Cup.

Terry and Lampard were a little more hesitant, but after finishing the conversation with Mourinho, the two Mourinho confidants also expressed their understanding of the coaching staff's decision.

After all, past experience tells them that being too greedy often doesn't end well.

In England, no team has been able to win the Premier League, EFL Cup and FA Cup in a single season at the same time.

The former peak iron-blooded Blues never achieved such an achievement, and the new Chelsea, which is still in the rebuilding period, needs a more down-to-earth planning.

There is great hope of winning the Premier League championship this season.

Even though they still have special feelings for the FA Cup, Terry and Lampard both knew the importance and finally made up their minds to follow Mourinho's arrangements.

Next, naturally, the Chelsea players will discuss the matter behind closed doors.

There are many non-English players in the Chelsea team, so when discussing this matter, the Chelsea team quickly unified their thinking.

After all, for people like Ibrahimovic, Hazard, De Bruyne and David Luiz, it is certainly good to be able to compete for the FA Cup championship.

But if they have to give up this cup competition for the sake of the league and subsequent Champions League matches, then they have no regrets.

After the whole team discussed and made the decision, Mourinho also resolutely arranged the starting lineup for the second leg of the English League Cup semi-finals and the next round of the FA Cup.

Because they were playing against the Premier League teams West Ham United and Stoke City, no matter how dirty the two teams were, they would not engage in bad defensive confrontations that are common in lower-level leagues.

Therefore, young rotation players such as Van Ginkel and Karas, as well as some youth training players, have been given starting opportunities.

After playing West Ham United on January 22, this group of boys will play another game against Stoke City on January 26.

Salah is also among the starting 11, but after the game with Stoke City is over, he will rush back to Basel to continue competing in the Swedish Super League in the second half of the league.

In order to allow the main players in the first team to get more adequate rest.

Mourinho did not put any main players on the substitute list for the two domestic cup matches, and even Li Ang got the opportunity to rest in these two rounds.

After enjoying a full four-day holiday, Chelsea's main players returned to the Cobham training base to conduct recovery training step by step.

At the press conference before the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals, Mourinho did not attract public attention after releasing Chelsea's starting lineup for this round.

After all, Chelsea had already massacred West Ham United in the first round, so it was reasonable to send some young players to go through the motions in the second round.

The process of this game also seemed very uneventful.

Chelsea plays steadily at home and defends against counterattacks. The lineup of youth training and rotation is not weak, at least not weaker than West Ham United, which is currently ranked in the Premier League relegation zone.

After scoring one goal in each half, Chelsea finally tied with West Ham United 2-2 at home and steadily entered the EFL Cup final this season.

However, at the pre-match press conference of the FA Cup match, Mourinho still released such a match roster.

He was immediately questioned by various British media!

Of course, the explanation is still the same old one, about being timid before fighting, violating fair play, looking down on the FA Cup and so on.

To be honest, Mourinho is also under a lot of pressure.

However, after seeing the main players fully rested and returning to the training base, and the quality of subsequent training improving a lot, Mourinho felt that this pressure was completely worth bearing.

A full season is too long, spanning two summers and one winter.

Young players are adaptable.

But in the cold and humid winter in England, if aging veterans want to stay as healthy as possible, they can only control the number of appearances per season within a reasonable and scientific range.

Chelsea's senior squad have played enough games this season.

League, Champions League, EFL Cup.

Without the strong performance of these Chelsea veterans, Chelsea would not be able to perform in such a good situation on all three lines.

Mourinho's consideration for his close veterans soon paid off in the twenty-third round of the Premier League.

Terry, Ashley Cole and others, who were already a little tired after playing the winter schedule, have become much lighter in training after two long periods of rest and adjustment during the January schedule.

There is a 4-day holiday between the 20th and 21st rounds of the Premier League, and a 4-day holiday between the 22nd and 23rd rounds of the Premier League. It can be said that it gave Chelsea's veterans a big shot of blood.

Chelsea, whose players' physical fitness has returned to full strength, sat at Stamford Bridge at home on the evening of January 29th and faced the challenge of Hammers West Ham United.

Well, calling it a challenge might be a bit of a misnomer.

After being brutally slaughtered by Chelsea in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals, the players of West Ham United were directly affected psychologically.

Just a week ago they played the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final against a group of young Chelsea players.

Even Chelsea's rotation and youth training lineup, despite all their efforts, could only result in a draw.

Now that they are once again challenging Chelsea, who are playing with all their main players, the players of West Ham United really have no idea.

It just so happens that because Chelsea were eliminated by Stoke City 2-1 in the last round of the FA Cup, Chelsea, which is now under pressure from all public opinions, also needs a big win to make those noisy voices disappear.

There's no better opponent to test against than West Ham United.

Mourinho even directly arranged a starting lineup of 442 for this game, allowing Lukaku and Ibrahimovic to start together.

What we are pursuing is a double strike with heavy firepower!

There is no need for a three-man midfielder in the middle. Li Ang and Matic are enough to deal with West Ham United's weak midfield defense.

As for Hazard and De Bruyne, who were supposed to be fixed at the wide midfielder position, in this game they moved forward directly to the winger position!

The veterans are strong and the defense is solid.

Coupled with the extraordinary performance of the young offensive players in front, Chelsea scored West Ham United's goal early in the first half!

There were no complicated offensive tactics, just two wings flying together and 45-degree bombing!

When enough shells were delivered, Ibrahimovic and Lukaku simply crushed West Ham United's defense repeatedly.

It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a review of West Ham United's defense!

Li Ang is also happy to sit in the midfield and arrange the organization with peace of mind.

He did not gain any offensive personal data in this game, but he accounted for at least 50% of the credit for Chelsea's final 7:0 massacre!

West Ham United fans also expressed their opinions in interviews after the game.

What they hate most is not Lukaku who scored a hat trick today and Ibrahimovic who scored two shots and passed one.

What they hate most is Li Ang, who sits in the middle of Chelsea and constantly delivers the ball to Chelsea players on both wings!

After all, old fans are always discerning, without Li Ang leading Matic in the midfield to suppress West Ham United's counterattack and sort out Chelsea's offensive line.

There won't be so many "cannonballs" hitting the heads of West Ham United players!

After this battle, many Premier League fans have a new understanding of Li Ang.

Many Premier League fans lamented that it turned out that Li Ang could be completely dragged into the team's midfield and backfield, acting as a pure No. 8 organization player.

However, as soon as they expressed these emotions, they immediately attracted ridicule from many La Liga and Italian fans.

"So we always say that at the tactical level, English football is rough and there is nothing worthy of learning from other countries. When Leon was at Real Madrid, he was learning how to organize a team from Alonso. How could he be just a rough player? What about b2b players?”

"Pirlo has said that if Li Ang stays in Serie A, he will be the next organizational master in Serie A. Although he may need to grow up for a few more years, there is no doubt that Li Ang is now He is already the most versatile core player among the younger generation of players!”

The voices of fans from the two countries immediately reminded many English fans.

Xabi Alonso and Pirlo, these two recognized midfield masters in the football world, seem to be very optimistic about Li Ang becoming an organizational master in the future.

If you know what the two of them call organizational masters, they are basically at the same level as them. This evaluation is not low.

But look at Li Ang's performance as the core of a new team for the first time this season.

Fans from all walks of life in the Premier League also have to admit it. The two midfield masters in football did not make mistakes. Li Ang does have this potential.

However, all the local fans in London except Chelsea fans are tired of the praise of Li Ang by the major media in London. This time it is nothing more than repeating the praise in a different way.

Arsenal and Tottenham fans won't admit that they are envious of Chelsea, even though they are.

Once upon a time, these two clubs also had such organizational cores.

It's a pity that one of them has betrayed his home team and returned to the Premier League to become the core player of Manchester City.

On the other hand, he is having a great life now at Real Madrid.

It has only been more than a year since the transfer, and he has basically won the club's Grand Slam of honors, which is something Tottenham cannot give at all.

I had it in the past, but now I can only reminisce about it while watching with envy my rivals in the same city enjoying such happiness.

The tough-talking Arsenal and Tottenham fans on the Internet may have their teeth broken in reality.

However, with the arrival of the 24th round of the Premier League, fans of both teams have the confidence to rejoice in Chelsea's misfortune.

Because in the twenty-fourth round of the Premier League, Chelsea will go to the Etihad Stadium in Manchester to challenge Manchester City, who are currently closely behind them and only six points behind them!

Chelsea's victory over Manchester City in the first half of the league was reviewed by countless Premier League experts and fans.

One of the important reasons for Chelsea's victory is recognized as Li Ang's explosive performance.

In other words, that's what most fans in the Premier League now think.

Without Li Ang's extraordinary performance, which is like a god's help, Chelsea would still have to pay a heavy price if they want to defeat Manchester City with a clean sheet.

And such extraordinary performance is often rare. How can it be said that it will explode immediately?

Therefore, in this showdown between Chelsea and Manchester City, most Premier League fans believe that the two teams will fight fiercely - if Mourinho and Guardiola want to directly determine the winner in this round.

On the other hand, if the two head coaches are calm enough and rational enough, it does not rule out that the two top Premier League teams will start the game cautiously and end in a dull manner.

But such a scene is definitely not what the Premier League media and a large number of neutral fans want to see.

For the fans of Arsenal and Liverpool, they also hope that Chelsea can fight to the death with Manchester City, both sides will suffer!

So far in the second half of the league, it’s not yet time to sprint all out.

But basically the pattern of the Premier League has been laid down.

Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal, the points gap between these three teams is not big, and one or two wins and losses may cause the top three positions in the current Premier League standings to change hands.

For Liverpool, there is still an 11-point gap between them and the current top team Chelsea, which is difficult to catch up, but there is still a lot of hope for a counterattack.

As for Tottenham, Everton and Manchester United, which are further behind, they are no longer part of the championship group.

They basically have to compete for the fourth place in the Premier League.

Seeing the current situation of the Premier League, many Red Devils fans are once again feeling sad.

At this time last year, they were already leading Manchester City by a large margin, and they were just waiting to win the Premier League championship in a few rounds in advance.

But this year, let alone competing for the championship, they are struggling to compete for fourth place!

After being crushed by Chelsea, in the last round of the league, Manchester United had to rely on Rooney's buzzer beater before the end of the game to defeat Cardiff City, the deputy captain of the Premier League.

What level is Cardiff City at now?

After the 22nd round of the Premier League, Cardiff City only won 4 of its games, scoring 17 goals and conceding 38!

A proper fish belly within a fish belly.

But even facing such an opponent, Manchester United was still in a stalemate with the opponent for the entire regular time of the game, a full 90 minutes!

Looking at the current situation of Manchester United in this way, the strength has been degraded. After being defeated by Chelsea, for ten days, the spirit has not gathered together.

What a miserable word!

However, Manchester United's misery seems insignificant in the context that the Premier League has returned to the era of chaos and powerful teams from all over the world are recovering.

In recent years, when the Premier League reached the 22nd round of the second half of the league, three of the top four teams appeared with more than or equal to 50 points. This is the first time!

If it weren't for the previous game. There are too many points given to weak teams. Then in the 22nd round, Liverpool should be able to accumulate 50 points similar to Arsenal and Manchester City.

However, this scene is enough to make the Football Association happy.

Let’s not talk about the other powerful clubs for now, let’s just talk about Liverpool.

After sinking for so many years, it finally regained its strength in the league and once again contributed to the rise of the Premier League.

After all, the topic and popularity of the established giants are guaranteed, especially now that Suarez is getting better and better.

Following the Golden Boot battle between Van Persie and Rooney in the 11-12 season, the Golden Boot battle between Suarez and Cavani once again helped the Premier League attract a lot of attention.

In an era of scuffles and surges in traffic, Manchester United's decline is a tragedy for Red Devils fans, but it is also a blessing for other newly emerging powerful teams in the Premier League.

After saving up money for the stadium, Arsenal will have more funds to invest in the transfer market in the future, and they are eyeing the Premier League crown.

After Manchester City snatched a foundational Premier League championship from Manchester United, it has now welcomed the famous football coach Guardiola, vowing to build itself into a new football giant from scratch.

Liverpool has risen from the bottom and wants to revive the glory of the great Liverpool that once dominated the Premier League.

And above them is the most powerful competitor for the new generation of Premier League hegemony, the new Chelsea reshaped by Mourinho!

Qin (Manchester United) has lost its deer, and all the heroes in the world are chasing it!

It's time to make great achievements and make great achievements!